This is a clash between two teams in vastly different states of mind. Perth’s hopes of for the finals depend on it wining its last three games and other teams slipping up, while Melbourne has all the momentum with three consecutive home wins helping to surge it to the top of the table.
Date: Sunday January 11
Kick-off: 6:00pm AWDT, 8:00pm AEDT
Venue: Members Equity Stadium, Perth
TV and Radio: Live and exclusive broadcast on FOX Sports 1 and Sky Sport 3. Hyundai A-League club radio broadcast partner is 6PR (Perth) and SEN (Melbourne) 1116AM. To purchase tickets visit www.ticketmaster.com.au
Head-to-head
11 Hyundai A-League meetings: Perth -3 wins, Melbourne – 4 wins, Draws – 4
Previous meeting
Perth Glory 3, Melbourne Victory 1, Members Equity Stadium, Round 14, December 2008
Past Five Matches
Perth:
Round 14: Perth Glory 3, Melbourne Victory 1, Members Equity Stadium
Round 15: Wellington Phoenix 1, Perth Glory 1, Westpac Stadium
Round 16: Sydney FC 1, Perth Glory 4, Sydney Football Stadium
Round 17: Perth Glory 0, Adelaide United 1, Members Equity Stadium
Round 18: Central Coast Mariners 1, Perth Glory 0, Bluetongue Stadium
Melbourne
Round 14: Perth Glory 3, Melbourne Victory 1, Members Equity Stadium
Round 16: Newcastle Jets 4, Melbourne Victory 2, EnergyAustralia Stadium
Round 17: Melbourne Victory 3, Sydney FC 2, Telstra Dome
Round 18: Melbourne Victory 2, Queensland Roar 1, Telstra Dome
Round 15: Melbourne Victory 1, Adelaide United 0, Telstra Dome
Analysis
This is a clash between two teams in vastly different states of mind. Perth’s hopes of for the finals depend on it winning its last three games and other teams slipping up, while Melbourne has all the momentum with three consecutive home wins helping to surge it to the top of the table.
On face value, you would think that Melbourne would then be red-hot favourites for this one, but given the Glory defeated the Victory 3-1 the last time these teams met just six weeks ago, this looms as a tricky trip west for the ladder leaders.
Melbourne has travelled to Perth twice in the past two seasons and on both occasions has been beaten 3-1. The last time Victory won at Members Equity was in September 2006. Also in Perth’s favour is the fact that Melbourne has played two matches since the Glory lost 1-0 to Central Coast on New Year’s Eve.
However, Melbourne will point to the fact it won both of those games against top-four aspirants, while Perth’s recent form has been underwhelming, losing to Adelaide and then the Mariners.
Melbourne has home games against Central Coast and Wellington to come, and if it is to realise its ambition of finishing top of the table then it will need to ensure it doesn’t drop points in the run in.
Ernie Merrick has a full squad to pick from for this match, meaning he can afford to rotate his squad and inject some fresh legs into the team which dominated the Reds on Tuesday night. But for now he has stuck with the same 15 who defeated Adelaide.
David Mitchell’s team’s pre-Christmas charge towards the finals has run out of steam, but there is plenty to look forward to for Glory fans. The Glory can still shape the top four with this match and the final clash of the season against Queensland.
Mitchell gets back plenty of experience in Eugene Dadi and Wayne Srhoj, while Andrija Jokic has been promoted from the youth league team. Three players will be omitted.
Perth Glory Squad: 1.Jason PETKOVIC (gk), 2.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY, 4.Jamie COYNE (c), 5.Jamie HARNWELL, 7.Nick RIZZO, 9.Adrian TRINIDAD, 11.Scott BULLOCH, 13.Nikita RUKAVYTSYA, 14.Eugene DADI, 16.Adriano PELLEGRINO, 17.James DOWNEY, 19.Naum SEKULOVSKI, 22.Wayne SRHOJ, 25.Marc ANTHONY, 28.Andrija JUKIC, 29.Victor SIKORA, 30.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 31.Scott NEVILLE
* three to be omitted
In. 14.Eugene DADI (promoted), 22.Wayne SRHOJ (return from injury), 28.Andrija JUKIC (promoted from youth team).
Out. Nil.
Unavailable. Josip MAGDIC (ankle – season), AMARAL (hamstring – season), James ROBINSON (abdomen – season), Frank JURIC (shoulder – 1 week), David TARKA (suspended – 1 week), Dino DJULBIC (ankle – 1 week), Hayden FOXE (leg – test).
Melbourne Victory Squad: 1.Michael THEOKLITOS (gk), 2.Kevin MUSCAT (Captain), 5.Sebastian RYALL, 7.Matthew KEMP, 8.Grant BREBNER, 9.Danny ALLSOPP, 10.Archie THOMPSON, 11.NEY FABIANO, 12.Rodrigo VARGAS, 14.Billy CELESKI, 15.Tom PONDELJAK, 16.Carlos HERNANDEZ, 17.Jose Luis LOPEZ, 20.Mitchell LANGERAK (gk), 22.Nick WARD.
In. Nil.
Out. Nil.
Unavailable: Nil.
